[nfbmi-talk] Fwd: Important Message for users of Firefox and screen Readers

[Kane Brolin]

More and more, it seems people are using Mozilla's Firefox browser to
interact with the Worldwide Web.  This clearly stated message,
originating from Eric Duffy by way of the NFB Members master list,
identifies a problem with the most recent generally used release of
Firefox vis-à-vis screen reading programs such as JAWS For Windows.
Just as important, however, it also identifies a fix.  Read carefully
or archive for future use, especially if you use Firefox.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Duffy, Eric via NFBNet-Members-List" <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:06:08 -0600
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Important Message for users of Firefox
and screen Readers
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org


If you are a screen reader user and also a user of the Mozilla
Firefox web browser, please pay close attention to the following
information. Do not update to the soon to be released Firefox 57.
This upgrade represents such a significant technical and performance
change that it's going to be known as Firefox Quantum. The changes in
Firefox Quantum are designed to improve the speed and security of the
browser. This, unfortunately, also impacts on the user experience for
screen reader users, most screen access software is completely
incompatible with Firefox Quantum and those that still function will
exhibit a serious deterioration in performance. At this stage, the
National Federation of the Blind access technology team, VFO and NV
Access are all recommending that users switch to using Firefox's
Extended Support Release (ESR) version in order to have the latest
browser security features and to avoid 57 until it is suitable for
use with screen readers.

You can
<https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/>download
Firefox ESR here.
<http://blog.freedomscientific.com/2017/10/25/important-information-for-users-of-mozilla-firefox/>Freedom
Scientific Statement on Firefox Quantum
<https://www.nvaccess.org/post/in-process-halloween-2017-edition/>NV
Access statement on Firefox Quantum




Eric Duffy
Director of Access Technology
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2401 | EDuffy at nfb.org


<https://nfb.org/>
National Federation of the Blind


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